Department for Transport

South Eastern Rail Franchise

Gareth Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, when he plans to make an announcement on the award of the new Southeastern franchise.

Andrew Jones: The bids for the next franchise continue to be evaluated. My Department wants to ensure that the franchise meets the needs of passengers and taxpayers and will provide an update in due course.

Driverless Cars: Safety

Martyn Day: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment his Department has made of the safety of self-driving cars.

Jesse Norman: The Government has safety at the heart of its approach to automated vehicles, and the UK is leading work through the United Nations to create robust international standards for their safe introduction and use.Last year the Department asked the Law Commission to conduct a regulatory review of the UK's legal framework in the context of automated vehicles. To support safe and responsible UK trials the Department has recently published an updated code of practice, and is developing processes to provide safety assurance for trials of increasingly advanced technology on public roads.

Driving Tests: Languages

Daniel Zeichner: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, with reference to the Impact Assessment on Review of language support provided for driving tests, whether the policy change that withdrew the availability of language support from UK driving test candidates was reviewed in January 2019 as indicated on the impact assessment; and if he will make a statement.

Jesse Norman: Ensuring all drivers have the knowledge, skills and understanding to use our roads safely and responsibly is essential to reducing casualties. Since the 2014 language support change, the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) has introduced a new practical driving test (in December 2017) and is currently working on the provision of the theory test from the early 2020s.

Brittany Ferries and DFDS

Alan Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 21 March 2019 to Question 233640, whether the three year settlement agreement and possible project listings with Eurotunnel procures the same vital freight capacity as that procured with DFDS and Brittany Ferries; and if he will make a statement.

Chris Grayling: The settlement agreement secured the vital freight capacity that Government has purchased from DFDS and Brittany Ferries, and therefore the unhindered supply of medicines for our NHS, by removing a legal risk of the contracts with these companies being declared ineffective by the Court. The agreement itself does not procure additional freight capacity, nor was it ever intended to. Under the terms of the settlement agreement, to ensure value for money, Eurotunnel has agreed that the entirety of the settlement sum will be used on projects to improve security, traffic flow and infrastructure resilience around the Channel tunnel site.

Brittany Ferries and DFDS

Alan Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 21 March 2019 to Question 233640, what vital freight capacity has been procured with DFDS and Brittany Ferries; and what timeframe that additional freight capacity covers.

Chris Grayling: The contracts with DFDS and Brittany Ferries add approximately 7% to existing short Strait ro-ro capacity. They cover the period to 30 September 2019. The majority of contracted capacity is initially reserved for category 1 priority traffic.

Department for Transport: Procurement

Alan Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, pursuant to the Answer of 21 March 2019 to Question 233639, if he will provide details of the auditors assessment of the risks of legal challenge to the contracts awarded; and if he will make a statement.

Chris Grayling: Details of the assessment of risks of legal challenge are legally privileged.

Department for Transport: Cybercrime

Jo Platt: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many mandatory cyber security training sessions civil servants working in his Department are required to undertake.

Jesse Norman: All Department for Transport employees are required to undertake the ‘Responsible for Information’ e-learning course. This course is designed to make civil servants aware of their responsibilities when it comes to handling information, being alert to the dangers of fraud, ensuring information is protected and handled responsibly without preventing it from being shared appropriately, and how best to protect themselves and the information they hold when they are working remotely on online. All new starters are required to complete this training within 1 month of joining the Department.All new staff with elevated access privileges are provided with enhanced, role-specific cyber and information security training and awareness. Information security policies and procedures are kept updated, and all staff are required to undertake refresher security training at least every 3 years.

Driving: Diabetes

Ruth George: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many people have informed the DVLA that they have insulin-treated diabetes and a group (a) 1 or (b) 2 driving licence in each of the last 10 years.

Ruth George: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, how many drivers with diabetes have had their licence revoked in each of the last 10 years.

Jesse Norman: The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) does not hold historic data on the number of people who have notified that they have insulin treated diabetes, only those whose licences were refused or revoked on that basis. The table below shows the number of drivers who have diabetes recorded on their driving record and have had their driving licence application refused or their driving licence revoked on medical grounds for any medical condition. YearRevocation Group 1Revocation Group 220101,50449820112,32766820122,47663920132,8011,11420142,9571,31820152,9931,49920162,9121,76520172,8951,56820182,0231,5622019 (to date)326269 Please note that there may be group 2 drivers who would have been refused or had a licence revoked for both group 1 and group 2 licences and therefore may be duplicated in the figures. In addition, as there are higher medical standards for group 2 licensing than for group 1, there will be a number of drivers who have been refused group 2 entitlement but permitted to retain group 1 entitlement.

Driving: Diabetes

Ruth George: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, for what reasons the recent changes to the DVLA’s driving and diabetes guidance differs between drivers with group 1 and group 2 licences.

Jesse Norman: The law states that while the testing of interstitial fluid is permitted for driver licensing purposes for group 1 drivers with diabetes, drivers of group 2 vehicles must continue to monitor blood glucose levels. The medical standards for driving group 2 vehicles are different than those for group 1. This is because these vehicles are larger or carry passengers, and the driver will typically spend more time on the road and drive longer distances.

Manston Airport

Sir Roger Gale: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, if he will confirm the commitment given by his Department to reinstate Manston Airport following the cessation of the use of that airfield as a potential lorry park after the UK leaves the EU.

Jesse Norman: The Town and Country Planning (Manston Airport) Special Development Order 2019 came into force on 24 January 2019, updating the SDO from 2015, and extends planning permission for the use of Manston as an emergency lorry holding facility until 31 December 2020.S.5(2) of the Order states that the land must be restored to its condition before the date of the Order coming into force, prior to the Order expiring on 31 December 2020. The Department will do this.

Public Accounts Commission

NHS: Fraud

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Chairman of the Public Accounts Commission, what assessment he has made of the level of fraud in the NHS; and what recent discussions he has had with Secretary of State for Health and Social Care on tackling such fraud.

Sir Edward Leigh: The most recent estimate of NHS fraud, covering 2016-17, was published by the NHS Counter Fraud Authority in 2018. This estimated that the loss to the NHS through fraud, bribery and corruption was £1.29 billion. The principal role of the Public Accounts Commission is to examine the Estimate of the National Audit Office (NAO) and to consider reports from the appointed auditor of the NAO. The Commission does not involve itself in the operational matters of government.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Research: Finance

Dr Lisa Cameron: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent progress his Department has made on ensuring that the UK meets its target of spending 2.4 per cent of GDP on R&D by 2027.

Chris Skidmore: Through our modern Industrial Strategy we have committed to the highest R&D increase on record. We have announced increases in public R&D spending worth £7bn up to 2021/2022, and we are working with UK Research and Innovation and other key partners to develop a roadmap that sets out how government and industry will work together to reach our target of increasing R&D investment to 2.4% of GDP by 2027, which would be the highest recorded level, and 3% in the longer-term. The roadmap will be published following the Spending Review, which my rt. hon. Friend Mr Chancellor of the Exchequer has announced will conclude this Autumn.

Research: Finance

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what recent progress his Department has made on ensuring the UK meets its 2.4 per cent GDP target for R&D funding.

Chris Skidmore: I refer my hon. Friend to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for East Kilbride, Strathaven and Lesmahagow to Question 230812.

Bombardier: Contracts

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what plans he has to support Bombardier to secure future contracts.

Kelly Tolhurst: We continue work closely with both Bombardier Aerostructures and Engineering Services and Invest Northern Ireland (INI) to identify opportunities for securing new work to help grow the Company’s business in Belfast. As previously announced, we and INI are providing around £27 million funding to support Bombardier’s investment in new R&D projects to enable Bombardier to develop and manufacture new, competitive products to secure their long-term future. Bombardier, like many of our innovative companies in the UK Aerospace sector, benefit from Department for International Trade’s overseas network, promoting their products and services to new customers in key markets. UK Export Finance have and will continue to provide (on a case by case basis) export finance support on Bombardier products, including the A220. UKEF has, to date, supported the deliveries of 10 A220s to Korean Air.

Solar Power

Jo Stevens: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what the total amount of solar energy captured in the UK is for each of the last five years.

Claire Perry: Electricity and heat generated in the UK each year from solar technologies are presented below:  Electricity generatedSolar thermal generation (MTOE)Total solar energy consumption (MTOE)(GWh)(MTOE)20132,0101734922220144,0543495039920157,53364852699201610,41189552947201711,525991531,044Source: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/renewable-sources-of-energy-chapter-6-digest-of-united-kingdom-energy-statistics-dukes The data above excludes unsubsidised solar generation not currently reported to BEIS or Ofgem. This is estimated to be very small.Data for electricity generation in 2018 will be published on Thursday March 28 at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/766384/ET_6.1.xls Figures for solar thermal generation in 2018 will be published on Thursday July 25 at: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/729372/DUKES_6.1-6.3.xls

Motor Vehicles: Manufacturing Industries

Nic Dakin: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment the Government has made of the potential effect of a 10 percent tariff on UK-produced cars exported to the EU on the (a) automotive supply chain and (b) steel industry.

Claire Perry: We expect that the EU’s most favoured nation (MFN) tariff regime would apply to UK exports to the EU in the event of the UK leaving the EU without a deal. There is no indication that the EU would modify its MFN regime as a result of our exit. Consistent with WTO rules, the EU must apply tariffs equally to imports from all countries where there is not a trade agreement or any other preferential arrangement in place. In the event of no deal, this includes the UK. Both the UK and the EU share a strong commercial interest in preserving the integrated supply chains of the automotive and steel sectors. As set out in the Political Declaration, the UK and the EU have agreed on a free trade area for goods. This will combine deep regulatory and customs cooperation with no tariffs and no quotas, underpinned by provisions ensuring open and fair competition. We will need to agree the balance as part of the future negotiations. The Political Declaration is clear about the UK’s and the EU’s wish to be as ambitious as possible. BEIS Ministers and officials regularly engage with the automotive industry, including bilaterals with manufacturers, interactions via trade associations, and through BEIS’s participation in the Automotive Council. This insight supports policy development within BEIS and work with other Departments. The automotive sector is a key consumer of UK steel therefore, any reduction in demand from the automotive sector would have an impact on UK steel producers. BEIS is working closely with steel producers to assess the impacts of EU Exit on their businesses, including their interaction with customers in the automotive industry. These conversations are commercially sensitive.

Living Wage and Minimum Wage: Young People

Gloria De Piero: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what proportion of jobs in (a) Nottinghamshire, (b) the East Midlands and (c) England are paid the National Living Wage or National Minimum Wage for employees aged 16 to 24.

Kelly Tolhurst: Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

USA: State Visits

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 17 January 2019 to Question 206775, on USA: State Visits, when his Department plans to publish the cost of President Trump's Guest of Government visit on the gov.uk website.

Sir Alan Duncan: The figures for the visit were published on the gov.uk website on Friday, 22 March.

Golan Heights

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his US counterpart on the future of the Golan Heights; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Field: ​We have not recently discussed our concerns with the US Government. In our statement on 22 March we reiterated our position that the UK views the Golan Heights as territory occupied by Israel. Annexation of territory by force is prohibited under international law, including the UN Charter. The UK did not recognise Israel's annexation in 1981 and we have no plans to change our position.

Department of Health and Social Care

Public Health: Social Media

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department has taken to tackle public health misinformation on social media platforms.

Steve Brine: An error has been identified in the written answer given on 19 February 2019.The correct answer should have been:

The Department ensures that all official information is badged appropriately with the Government crest; National Health Service branding or associated public health campaign branding, to reinforce its credibility. Any misinformation detected is dealt with on a case by case basis depending on the level of impact it could have on public health. We are working closely with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport on their white paper on Online Harms. Information on the upcoming white paper and Government Communication Service’s existing advice The Government Communications Service has also recently published a toolkit ‘RESIST’ to assist government communicators in tackling disinformation which my Department will utilise. These documents can be viewed at the following links: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-laws-to-make-social-media-saferhttps://gcs.civilservice.gov.uk/news/5-trends-in-leading-edge-communications/https://gcs.civilservice.gov.uk/guidance/evaluation/tools-and-resources/

Steve Brine: The Department ensures that all official information is badged appropriately with the Government crest; National Health Service branding or associated public health campaign branding, to reinforce its credibility. Any misinformation detected is dealt with on a case by case basis depending on the level of impact it could have on public health. We are working closely with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport on their white paper on Online Harms. Information on the upcoming white paper and Government Communication Service’s existing advice The Government Communications Service has also recently published a toolkit ‘RESIST’ to assist government communicators in tackling disinformation which my Department will utilise. These documents can be viewed at the following links: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/new-laws-to-make-social-media-saferhttps://gcs.civilservice.gov.uk/news/5-trends-in-leading-edge-communications/https://gcs.civilservice.gov.uk/guidance/evaluation/tools-and-resources/

NHS: Negligence

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate his Department has made of the potential cost of clinical negligence claims to NHS Resolution over the next three years.

Caroline Dinenage: NHS Resolution handles clinical negligence claims on behalf of National Health Service organisations and independent sector providers of NHS care in England. NHS Resolution have provided the following information which covers spend specifically attributed to clinical negligence, principally pay-outs pertaining to claims received under the Clinical Negligence Scheme for Trusts. The figures also include clinical negligence pay-outs relating to Department-funded indemnity schemes in respect of legacy bodies such as primary care trusts and regional health authorities. Costs in the context of HM Treasury-defined budgeting arrangements are defined as the amount expected to be paid in relation to settling claims in that financial year, including damages payments, claimant legal costs, and defence legal costs, and are shown in the following table. The costs reported do not include NHS Resolution administration or costs incurred locally by NHS providers in dealing with claims such as their own administration costs.  Clinical Negligence Scheme for Trusts (£ million)Department of Health Scheme for Clinical Liabilities (£ million)Existing Liabilities Scheme (£ million)Regional Health Authorities Scheme (£ million)Total (£ million)2019/202,300963612,4332020/212,410903512,5362021/222,710853412,830 Notes:The costs have been estimated on the basis of a personal injury discount rate (PIDR) of minus 0.75%. However, The Civil Liability Act 2018 includes a new way of setting the PIDR rate. A review of the PIDR rate has been announced and therefore the figures provided here may change.NHS Resolution reviews its five-year forecasts annually and any changes in the underpinning actuarial assumptions are likely to result in revised projections. The figures quoted should therefore be considered as broad estimates based on latest available information and subject to change in the future.The figures provided in this reply do not include claims brought against general practitioners.

NHS: Negligence

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions his Department has had with the Ministry of Justice and Civil Justice Council on reforming the tort of negligence in medical malpractice to address the rising cost of clinical negligence claims on NHS Resolution.

Caroline Dinenage: In 2017 the National Audit Office (NAO) published a report which challenged the Government to publish a co-ordinated strategy to reduce clinical negligence costs. The Department of Health and Social Care is working jointly with the Ministry of Justice, the Treasury, Cabinet Office, NHS Resolution and others, to respond to the challenge from the NAO in their ‘Managing the Costs of Clinical Negligence in Trusts’ report to publish a co-ordinated strategy to reduce clinical negligence costs. We are looking at all the drivers of costs, as challenged by the NAO, and a wide range of options are being considered. We will update the House when we are in a position to do so. The Civil Justice Council (CJC) is expected to report shortly on proposals to extend fixed recoverable costs (FRC) in clinical negligence cases up to £25,000 damages. The Government will consult before implementing any extension of FRC following the CJC report.

Travel: Vaccination

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when the Government plans to publish the outcome of the Public Health England review into the provision of travel vaccinations on the NHS.

Jackie Doyle-Price: The joint Departmental, NHS Business Services Authority, NHS England and Public Health England review of vaccinations for travel purposes has concluded. The review’s conclusions, and the clinical and public health rationale for offering free vaccinations on the National Health Service for cholera, hepatitis A, polio and typhoid when recommended for the purposes of travel, will be released in summer 2019. Current policy on vaccinations for the purposes of travel remains the same.

Asthma: Prescriptions

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the clinical rationale is to charge people with asthma for their prescription charges when people with many other long-term conditions are exempt from paying.

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the effect of prescription charges on young people with asthma.

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the number of people with asthma who have missed their medication due to the cost of the prescription.

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the effect of prescription charges on the incidence of asthma attacks in England.

Caroline Dinenage: The Department has made no assessment on the effect of prescription charges on the young people with asthma and on the incidence of asthma attacks in England. The Department has made no estimate of the number of people with asthma who have missed their medication due to the cost of a prescription. Extensive arrangements are in place to help people afford NHS prescriptions. These include a broad range of prescription charge exemptions, for which someone with asthma may qualify. The Department has no current plans to amend these exemptions, including the list of medical conditions that provides exemption from prescription charges. Children under 16, and students under the age of 19 and in qualifying full-time education are also exempt from prescription charges. People on a low income, who do not qualify for an exemption, may be eligible for full or partial help with prescription charges through application to the NHS Low Income Scheme. To support those with greatest need who do not qualify for an exemption or the NHS Low Income Scheme, prescription prepayment certificates are available. A holder of a 12-month certificate can get all the prescriptions they need for just £2 per week.

Diabetes: Medical Equipment

Sir John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate his Department has made of the (a) number and (b) percentage of people diagnosed with type 1 diabetes who have access to insulin pumps funded by the NHS.

Jackie Doyle-Price: The information requested is not centrally held.

Diabetes: Medical Equipment

Sir John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure his Department is (a) aware of new technologies for diabetes treatment and (b) enables the timely (i) funding and (ii) adoption of those technologies.

Jackie Doyle-Price: In the NHS Long Term Plan, NHS England committed to both improving the pipeline of innovation and speeding up the uptake and spread, so that proven and affordable innovations get to patients faster. This will include setting up a new advisory service for innovators, linked to the Academic Health Science Networks and bringing together in one place all ‘horizon-scanning’ activities. The uptake of proven, affordable innovations will be accelerated through a new Medtech funding mandate for health technology products which have been assessed as cost saving by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence.

NHS: Innovation

Mr David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to improve technology in the NHS.

Jackie Doyle-Price: Our Tech Vision ‘The future of healthcare: our vision for digital, data and technology in health and care’ published on 17 October 2018, sets out our plans to improve technology in the delivery of health and care. We have created NHSX to drive technology use and innovation in health and care to give patients and staff the technology they need. NHSX will work with the National Health Service and the wider digital economy to build world-class digital services.

Health Services: Reciprocal Arrangements

Mr David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure reciprocal healthcare arrangements are in place with EU countries after the UK’s leaves the EU.

Stephen Hammond: On 19 March 2019 I laid a written statement (HCWS1429) on the Department’s plans for the continuity of reciprocal healthcare arrangements in the event we exit the European Union without a deal. This statement sets out that subject to Parliament ratifying the Withdrawal Agreement, in a deal scenario current reciprocal healthcare rights will continue during the implementation period until 31 December 2020. The Withdrawal Agreement and European Free Trade Area (EFTA) Agreements also give longer-term reciprocal healthcare rights to those who are living in or previously worked in the other country on exit day. This will include access to healthcare through the European Health Insurance Card scheme. The reciprocal healthcare system requires reciprocity from the EU or individual Member States and cannot be protected unilaterally. That is why we have proposed to EU Member States and EFTA states that we should agree arrangements that maintain the existing healthcare arrangements in a ‘no deal’ scenario until 31 December 2020, with the aim of minimising disruption to United Kingdom nationals’ and EU and EFTA state citizens’ healthcare provision. This would mean that we will continue to pay healthcare costs for current or former UK residents for whom the UK has responsibility and who are living or working in or visiting the EU, and that EU and EFTA states can fund healthcare for their citizens in the UK. We are hopeful that we will reach such agreements. We have published guidance profiles at the following links: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/overseas-living-in-guides https://www.nhs.uk/using-the-nhs/healthcare-abroad/healthcare-when-travelling-abroad/travelling-in-the-european-economic-area-eea-and-switzerland/ We will update the guidance with further developments. Whenever travelling abroad, individuals are always responsible for ensuring they have travel insurance. It is already the case that we advise people to obtain comprehensive travel insurance when working, studying or travelling to the EU and the rest of the world. This will remain our advice in all circumstances.

Genetics: Health Services

Mr David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure progress in research on genomic healthcare in the UK.

Caroline Dinenage: Genomics is changing the future of health and medicine, with the potential to underpin a new era of precision healthcare. We have led the way globally with landmark initiatives such as the 100,000 Genomes Project, the largest national sequencing project anywhere in the world. The creation of the Genomic Medicine Service in the National Health Service, the first of its kind in the world, is vital to realising the potential benefits of genomics both for direct care and for research. As the evidence grows, we will further embed genomics into routine healthcare and make the United Kingdom the number one destination to research and develop the latest scientific advances in genomic healthcare. Over the next five years, the UK will aim to sequence five million genomes, including at least one million whole genomes from the NHS and UK Biobank. This puts the UK at the forefront of global ambition in genomics. In February, the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Innovation (Baroness Blackwood of North Oxford), announced that a new National Genomic Healthcare Strategy will developed to set out how the whole genomics community can work together to make the UK the global leader in genomic healthcare.

HIV Infection: Drugs

Mrs Sharon Hodgson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure the expansion of the PrEP Impact Trial outside of London as soon as possible.

Jackie Doyle-Price: NHS England announced on 28 February that the PrEP Impact Trial will be expanded and that new trial places will begin to be released following agreement at the pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) Oversight Board. Information on the trial is available to view at the following links: www.prepimpacttrial.org.uk https://www.england.nhs.uk/2019/02/prep-impact-trial-to-be-expanded/ Before finalising arrangements and releasing places, participating clinics and local authority commissioners were asked to confirm if they had the capacity to take on additional places. Around 80% of participating clinics have confirmed they have the capacity to accept additional trial places and most of these sites have also received approval from their local authority commissioners to proceed. In the meantime, for trial sites outside of London, the research team will now make rapid arrangements to release the extra places when all necessary approvals have been obtained.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: Training

Nicky Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent discussions he has had with medical training bodies on ensuring that training programs for doctors, nurses and other health professionals include the most up to date guidance on diagnosis and appropriate treatment of myalgic encephalomyelitis.

Stephen Hammond: There have been no recent discussions between Departmental Ministers and training bodies for doctors, nurses or other health professionals about myalgic encephalomyelitis. National Health Service employers are responsible for ensuring staff they employ are trained to the required standards to deliver appropriate treatment for patients.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Nicky Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the debate of 24 January 2019 on Appropriate ME Treatment, what recent discussions his Department has had with NICE on the potential merits of fast-tracking the release of the revised NICE guideline on myalgic encephalomyelitis due to be published in October 2020.

Nicky Morgan: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the debate of 24 January 2019 on Appropriate ME Treatment, what recent discussions his Department has had with NICE on the potential merits of issuing an interim warning on the potential dangers of graded exercise therapy as a treatment for myalgic encephalomyelitis prior to issuing its revised guideline myalgic encephalomyelitis in October 2020.

Caroline Dinenage: The Department has had no such discussions. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is an independent body and responsible for developing its guidelines in accordance with its published methods and processes. NICE expects to publish its final updated guideline in October 2020 with a consultation on draft guidance starting in April 2020.

General Practitioners: Training

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many training places for general practice were (a) commissioned and (b) filled in each of the last five years.

Caroline Dinenage: The number of speciality general practitioner training places commissioned and filled in the last five years in England is attached.



PQ234234 attached data
(Word Document, 22.3 KB)

5G: Health Hazards

Alex Chalk: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the effect of the roll-out of 5G technology on people's health.

Jackie Doyle-Price: Electromagnetic fields (EMFs) and health evidence reviews have been prepared by scientific expert groups in the United Kingdom and around the world. The independent Advisory Group on Non-Ionising Radiation (AGNIR) published their report in the UK in 2012 and the European Commission’s Scientific Committee on Emerging and Newly Identified Health Risks (SCENIHR) published their report in 2015. The World Health Organization is presently preparing a review. The AGNIR report is available at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/radiofrequency-electromagnetic-fields-health-effects The SCENIHR report is available at the following link: https://ec.europa.eu/health/sites/health/files/scientific_committees/docs/citizens_emf_en.pdf Based on the accumulated evidence and reviews, Public Health England (PHE) advises that the guidelines of the International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP) should be adopted and there is no convincing evidence that EMF exposures below the ICNIRP guideline levels cause adverse health effects. PHE has committed to keeping the emerging evidence under review and to preparing another comprehensive review when sufficient new evidence has accumulated.

NHS: Staff

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care what estimate he has made of the average cost to the NHS of employing one (a) nurse, (b) midwife, (c) doctor and (d) GP.

Stephen Hammond: The Department’s estimates of the average cost to the National Health Service employing a midwife, a nurse and a doctor at a full-time equivalent (FTE) are set out in the following table. These costs include total earnings, national insurance and pension contributions.  Estimated Average Pay Bill per FTE (2017-18)Doctors£102,542Nurses and Health Visitors£43,780Midwives£47,381Source: Departmental Headline Hospital and Community Health Services Pay Bill Metrics, which are based primarily on earnings statistics published by NHS Digital, supplemented by employer pension and national insurance contributions estimates informed by unpublished and unvalidated data from the Electronic Staff Record Data Warehouse. Pay bill per FTE levels reflect average experience and pay levels as well as non-basic earnings such as overtime which can fluctuate. These figures do not include any other costs associated with employing or training that member of staff such as recruitment costs. General practitioner contractors are not employed by the NHS but hold one of three contracts (General Medical Services, Personal Medical Services or Alternative Provider Medical Services) with NHS England to undertake work for the NHS.

HIV Infection: Drugs

Neil Coyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the potential merits of using e-services in London for the proposed expansion of the PrEP Impact Trial.

Jackie Doyle-Price: E-services have potential to help support a sustainable expansion of the PrEP Impact Trial in London. London authorities are currently in discussion with the PrEP Impact Trial team about how best to utilise the potential option of online testing for trial participants.

Intensive Care: Hampshire

Mr Ranil Jayawardena: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the quality of critical care treatment in North Hampshire.

Stephen Hammond: The Care Quality Commission’s most recent report rated Basingstoke and North Hampshire Hospital critical care services as ‘good’ for providing safe, effective, responsive and well-led services. The service was outstanding for caring.

Health Services: Cambridgeshire

Sir Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has made an assessment of the effect of the speed of growth within Cambridgeshire on local health services.

Sir Oliver Heald: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the current five year funding formula addresses actual as well as forecast growth in the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough CCG area.

Stephen Hammond: NHS England is responsible for decisions on the weighted capitation formula used to allocate resources between clinical commissioning groups (CCGs). This process is independent of Government. NHS England takes advice from the Advisory Committee on Resource Allocation (ACRA), a group of academics and other experts. NHS England published five-year CCG allocations 2019/20 to 2023/24 on 8 February 2019 at the following link: https://www.england.nhs.uk/publication/ccg-allocations-2019-20-to-2023-24-core-services/ In making these allocations, NHS England accepted all recommendations made by ACRA, including changes in the way population estimates and projections are used. NHS Cambridgeshire and Peterborough’s revenue allocation is based on the actual average registered population in the 12 months to October 2018, which was 967,902. Using population growth rates estimated by the Office for National Statistics, the allocations include an estimated population growth to 973,472 in 2019-20 (0.62% growth). We continue this approach throughout the allocations period so that by 2023-24 we assume a population of 992,432, equivalent to an average growth of 0.50% per annum over the period.

Barts Health NHS Trust: Private Finance Initiative

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether the Government has plans to provide PFI relief to Barts Health NHS Trust.

Stephen Hammond: Barts Health NHS Trust has been placed into the Financial Special Measures (FSM). This is a regulatory action, which uses NHS Improvement’s legal powers to require National Health Service providers to comply with its actions and/or expectations. Each NHS provider placed into FSM will undergo a rapid review, and agree a financial recovery plan. Specialist teams, led by an improvement director, will oversee intensive, accelerated action to bring about financial improvement including support from peer providers where appropriate. Where trusts in FSM do require access to cash funding to continue the delivery of affordable, safe, quality healthcare, the Department’s interim funding regime ensures that providers in financial difficulty have timely access to cash financing to protect the continuity of services for patients. A new Financial Recovery Fund will be directly targeted at those trusts with the most financial need.

Pregnancy: Alcoholic Drinks

Bill Esterson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to Public Health England's guidance, Health Matters: Identifying and offering brief advice to tobacco and alcohol users, published on 21 March 2019, for what reasons that guidance does not make reference to the risk of drinking alcohol in pregnancy.

Jackie Doyle-Price: ‘Health Matters: identifying and offering brief advice to tobacco and alcohol users’ guidance supports service providers in implementing the screening and advice for tobacco and alcohol use in inpatient settings commissioning for quality and innovation (CQUIN) scheme. Health Matters can be viewed at the following link:https://publichealthmatters.blog.gov.uk/2019/03/21/health-matters-identifying-and-offering-brief-advice-to-tobacco-and-alcohol-users/The national CQUIN scheme offers National Health Service providers the chance to identify and support adult inpatients who smoke and adult inpatients who are drinking above the United Kingdom chief medical officers’ (CMOs’) low risk drinking guidelines.

Department for International Development

Tuberculosis: Research

Dame Louise Ellman: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the UK's contribution to global TB research and role in advancing the further development of diagnostics, improved treatments and a TB vaccine; and if she will make a statement.

Harriett Baldwin: The UK Government is a major investor in tuberculosis (TB) research, for the development of diagnostics, improved treatments and TB vaccines. The UK also supports applied health research, to strengthen health systems, to ensure effective delivery of health services so that new products, once available, can be used appropriately. To date, DFID support has been instrumental in the development of five new diagnostics for TB, including GeneXpert, which is used routinely in the UK NHS, has reduced the time taken to diagnose drug-sensitive and drug resistant TB from several weeks to a few hours. DFID support also enabled the development of the first paediatric TB medicine, which is now available in 80 countries across the globe.

Gaza: Reconstruction

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what discussions she has had with the (a) UN, (b) Palestinian Authority and (c) Israeli Government on the (i) 2018 review of the Gaza Reconstruction Mechanism and (ii) implementation of the recommendations of that review.

Harriett Baldwin: The UK values the role of the United Nations (UN) in supporting Gaza’s reconstruction following widespread destruction in the 2014 conflict through the Gaza Reconstruction Mechanism (GRM), which helps ensure that essential reconstruction materials reach civilians. Following the joint review of the GRM in 2018 the UN, Israel and the Palestinian Authority (PA) began implementing the report’s recommendations in January this year. UK officials most recently discussed the review of the GRM and the implementation of its recommendations with the UN in January 2019. The UK regularly raises movement and access restrictions in Gaza with both the Government of Israel and with the PA. DFID officials most recently raised the review of the GRM and the implementation of the review’s recommendations with the Israeli Government in February 2019. More broadly, restrictions in Gaza were most recently raised with the PA in January 2019. The UK will continue to call on the Israeli government to ease access restrictions further and for Israel and the Palestinian Authority to work together to ensure a durable solution for Gaza.

Developing Countries: Children

Stephen Twigg: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, whether she has made an assessment of the potential merits of introducing a child marker scheme to track the money that her Department spends on interventions targeted at children; and if she will make a statement.

Harriett Baldwin: DFID provides significant support to children in both development and humanitarian contexts through programming across a range of sectors including child protection, social protection, education, nutrition, health and economic development. The introduction of new markers in the Official Development Assistance (ODA) system is agreed by consensus of all members of the OECD Development Assistance Committee (DAC). Currently the OECD DAC has paused the introduction of new markers to carry out a review of the marker system with a view to aligning ODA closer to the targets of the Sustainable Development Goals. We will await the outcome of this review before further considering an appropriate method to track this issue.

Burma: Human Trafficking

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what recent assessment her Department has made of the extent of sex trafficking between Myanmar and China; and if she will make a statement.

Harriett Baldwin: Ending modern day slavery in all its forms, including sex trafficking and forced marriage, is a priority for DFID Burma. We address this through support to the Livelihoods and Food Security Fund (LIFT), to which the UK has provided £187 million since 2010. DFID undertook a slavery assessment across Burma in 2018. As a result, we tripled funding through LIFT to tackle modern slavery to £40m. We are currently developing a new programme addressing forced marriage which will work with mothers of daughters aged 10-18 in highly vulnerable areas, including displaced people’s camps.

Armed Conflict: Disease Control

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps her Department is taking to lower rates of water-borne diseases in conflict areas throughout the world.

Harriett Baldwin: Since 2015 DFID has supported 24.9 million people living in fragile states to access clean water and sanitation to lower the rates of water-borne diseases. This includes 16.7 million beneficiaries living in states with a high level of fragility, such as Syria and the Democratic Republic of Congo. In Yemen, we are bringing together the science community, including the UK Met Office, US academics and NASA (the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration), with operational partners on the ground to improve the forecasting of where cholera is likely to occur, to enable earlier preparedness and action.

Yemen: Internally Displaced People

Dan Carden: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps her Department is taking provide support to internally displaced people in Yemen.

Penny Mordaunt: Last year the UK provided protection assistance, including primary healthcare services, legal assistance and support in response to sexual violence to over 200,000 internally displaced people (IDPs) through our funding to the International Organisation for Migration and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. On 24 February, the Prime Minister announced that the UK will provide an additional £200 million in response to the humanitarian crisis in Yemen for the next financial year (2019/2020). This includes continued support to people displaced by conflict, and brings the total UK commitment to Yemen to £770 million since the conflict began in 2015.

Yemen: Swine Flu

Dan Carden: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development, what steps her Department is taking to respond to reports of swine flu in Yemen.

Penny Mordaunt: The UK works closely with the UN and partners operating in Yemen to track the presence and spread of communicable diseases. Based on the available information, there is no clear evidence of an increase in cases of swine flu in Yemen.

Department for Education

Teachers: Recruitment

Jonathan Reynolds: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps are being taken to increase recruitment levels of science teachers.

Nick Gibb: Recruiting science teachers is a top priority for the Government. The Department has put in place a range of measures, including increased generous bursaries, worth up to £26,000 for physics, biology and chemistry to encourage even more talented individuals into teaching. Our prestigious scholarship scheme will also continue, offering a package of tailored support and £28,000 tax-free for scholars in physics, chemistry and computer science.The Department is also testing new financial incentives to boost recruitment and retention, which include a student loan reimbursement pilot for science teachers in 25 local authorities that are most in need. Around 1,700 science teachers a year will be eligible for this pilot scheme.In addition to this, the Department has developed a number of further initiatives to encourage more science specialists into initial teacher training (ITT). These include targeted marketing campaigns; providing support to potential science ITT applicants to increase the proportion of successful applications; and a programme to recruit high calibre post-doctoral researchers who have detailed subject knowledge and a passion to teach physics in the schools where they are most needed. The new National Mathematics and Physics school-centred ITT plans to offer high quality teacher training, in collaboration with partner schools across the country and Buckingham University, led by maths and physics experts in partnership with the Institute of Physics and Mathematical Association. The Department provides the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics international Teacher Recruitment Programme to support state-funded secondary schools in England with recruiting to physics vacancies. Through this programme, schools can recruit qualified teachers from Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and the USA to teach physics.

Languages: Curriculum

Mr Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent estimate he has made of the number of pupils in each key stage in (a) state and (b) private primary schools who are studying European languages by each language studied.

Nick Gibb: The information requested on which languages are taught by which primary schools, or on pupils’ performance in foreign language study at primary school, is not held centrally.

Languages: Universities

Mr Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent estimate he has made of the number of students at UK universities who are studying each European language.

Chris Skidmore: The Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) collects and publishes statistics about higher education in the UK and the latest statistics refer to the academic year 2017/18. HESA publishes breakdowns by subject area at UK higher education institutions (HEIs) but does not go into detail beyond ‘languages’. In 2017/18, there were 84,260 full-person-equivalent1 students enrolled on languages courses in UK HEIs. This information is shown in table 22 in the following link: https://www.hesa.ac.uk/data-and-analysis/students/what-study. It should be noted that HESA figures are rounded to the nearest 5 and that the figure of 84,260 is for all students enrolled on languages courses. This includes all levels of study (undergraduate, postgraduate etc.) and all modes of study (full-time and part-time).[1] Counts are on the basis of full person equivalents. Where a student is studying more than one subject, the counts are distributed between the subjects that make up their course.

Asylum: Children

Helen Whately: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many and what proportion of children are unaccompanied asylum seeking children in each local authority area.

Nadhim Zahawi: The latest information on the number of looked-after children who were unaccompanied asylum seeking children, by local authority, can be found in table LAA4 of the statistical release ‘Children Looked-After in England: Including Adoption: 2017 to 2018’ at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/children-looked-after-in-england-including-adoption-2017-to-2018. These figures show the numbers at 31 March 2018.The available population estimates for the number of children in each local authority are mid-year estimates published by the Office for National Statistics and these are reproduced in the underlying data that accompany this release.

Pupils: Communication Skills

Rebecca Pow: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what plans Ofsted has to ensure that descriptors of high-quality education in new inspection handbooks for (a) early years, (b) schools and (c) further education emphasise the importance of pupils developing language and communication skills.

Nick Gibb: This is a matter for Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector, Amanda Spielman. I have asked her to write to the hon. Member and a copy of her reply will be placed in the Libraries of both Houses.

Apprentices: Finance

Rebecca Pow: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether the Education and Skills Funding Agency plans to revise its apprenticeship funding rules for training providers and employers to include training for communication skills development in the list of items that can be funded; and if he will make a statement.

Anne Milton: The apprenticeship funding rules set out eligible costs that the government will pay to support the training and assessment required to deliver an apprenticeship.The funding rules do not set out the different skills required for each apprenticeship as these are different for every standard or framework. The knowledge, skills and behaviours required for each apprenticeship are set out in the standard and its assessment plan or in the framework that the apprentice undertakes. Where these include communication as an essential element of the skills needed for an apprentice to be competent, the costs of this training can be covered.If an individual requires additional learning support that includes developing communication skills in order to successfully complete an apprenticeship, we will also pay up to £150 per month to support this.The apprenticeship funding rules are published on GOV.UK: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/apprenticeship-funding-rules.

Teachers: EU Nationals

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many teachers in UK schools are EU nationals.

Nick Gibb: The Department does not collect information on nationality in the school workforce census for teachers in England. In the Migration Advisory Committee’s European Economic Aarea (EEA) migration report, published in September 2018, it was estimated that there are 11,400 and 13,100 EEA-born primary and secondary school teachers, respectively, working in the UK. This accounts for 2.6% (primary) and 3.0% (secondary) of the total numbers. This compares to around 5% of the general population. The full report can be found here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/741926/Final_EEA_report.PDF. For the first time in the 2018-19 Initial teacher training (ITT): trainee number census, the Department published data on the nationality of ITT trainees. In academic year 2018-19, there were 28,570 postgraduate new entrants to ITT whose nationality was known. Of these, 93% were UK nationals (26,525), 5% were EEA nationals (1,405) and 2% were nationals of other countries (635). These are the same proportions as in academic years 2017-18 and 2016-17. The census results can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/initial-teacher-training-trainee-number-census-2018-to-2019.

Special Educational Needs

Dr Paul Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many local authorities are maintaining Education, Health and Care plans por young people up to the age of 25.

Nadhim Zahawi: All local authorities are maintaining education, health and care (EHC) plans for young people up to the age of 25. The number of pupils with a statement or EHC plan, based on where the child attends school by local authority can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/statements-of-sen-and-ehc-plans-england-2018.

Special Educational Needs: Unemployment

Dr Paul Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many young people aged 16 to 24 years old not in education, employment and training have a special educational need.

Anne Milton: The information requested is not held centrally. Information on the number of young people who are not in education, employment and training and who have an education, health and care plan is currently being collected from local authorities for the first time and will be published in May 2019 within the “Statements of SEN and EHC plans: January 2019” publication.

Free Schools: Rents

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what estimate his Department has made of the annual cost to the public purse of rent paid by his Department for (a) land and (b) buildings for free schools in each year since 2010.

Nadhim Zahawi: The Department for Education has indicated that it will not be possible to answer this question within the usual time period. An answer is being prepared and will be provided as soon as it is available.

Universities: Finance

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department is taking to increase the financial sustainability of universities currently operating with a deficit.

Chris Skidmore: I refer the hon. Member for Coventry South to the answer I gave to the right hon. Member for Ashton-under-Lyne on 18 February 2019, to question 220252.

Free School Meals: Secondary Education

Gloria De Piero: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many and what proportion of children in (a) Ashfield, (b) Rushcliffe, (c) Nottinghamshire and (d) England who are (i) eligible and (ii) not eligible for free school meals, reached the expected standard in reading, writing and maths at Key Stage 2 at the end of the 2017-2018 academic year.

Nick Gibb: The information is provided in the tables attached. 



235751_KS2_Attainment_in_Reading_Writing_Maths
(Word Document, 69.5 KB)

Free School Meals: GCSE

Gloria De Piero: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many and what proportion of students in (a) Ashfield, (b) Rushcliffe, (c) Nottinghamshire and (d) England who are (i)  eligible and (ii) not eligible for free school meals achieved grades 4 to 9 in GCSE (A) English and (B) maths in 2017 and 2018.

Gloria De Piero: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many and what proportion of students in (a) Ashfield, (b) Rushcliffe, (c) Nottinghamshire and (d) England who are (i) eligible and (ii) not eligible for free school meals achieved five or more GCSEs at grades 4 to 9 in (A) 2017 and (B) 2018.

Gloria De Piero: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the average Attainment 8 score per pupil who is (a) eligible and (b) not eligible for free school meals was in 2017 and 2018 for (i) Ashfield, (ii) Rushcliffe, (iii) Nottinghamshire and (iv) England.

Nick Gibb: Key Stage 4 pupil attainment (including grade 9-4 in English and in mathematics, 5 or more GCSE grades 9-4/A*-C and average Attainment 8 score per pupil) for England, Nottinghamshire, Ashfield and Rushcliffe, split by eligibility for free school meals in 2017/18 and 2016/17 is provided in the attached tables.



235752_235753_235754_KS4_Attainment_Split_by_FSM
(Excel SpreadSheet, 66.5 KB)

Social Services: Sunderland

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment he has made of the financial sustainability of children's services in Sunderland.

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what assessment he has made of the effect of the change in the level of funding allocated to children's services in the North East on the wellbeing of children and families.

Nadhim Zahawi: Over the five-year period to 2019-20, councils have access, through the Local Government Finance Settlement, to over £200 billion to deliver local services, including children’s services. Core spending power has increased from £45.1 billion in 2018-19 to £46.4 billion in 2019-20. For Sunderland, this means an increase in core spending power of £235 million in 2018-19 to £239 million in 2019-20.In addition to this, the Autumn Budget announced a further £410 million in 2019-20 for local authorities to invest in adult and children’s social care services.The Department for Education (DfE) made an investment of £2.4 million towards the creation of Together for Children (TfC), the company responsible for delivering children’s services in Sunderland, which has started to make an impact on improving children’s services. In addition, we are supporting TfC to develop projects which will help to deliver better quality services for the children and families of Sunderland.DfE are working closely with the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government on the review of relative needs and resources to develop a robust, up-to-date approach to funding distribution for children's services at local government finance settlements.The government will continue to work closely with the sector to consider long-term children’s services funding as part of the upcoming Spending Review.

European Social Fund

Angela Rayner: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the total number and value is of European Social Fund contracts held by (a) the Education and Skills Funding Agency and (b) his Department.

Anne Milton: The Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) procures education and training delivery on behalf of local enterprise partnerships, as a co-financing organisation in the current 2014-20 European Social Fund (ESF) programme. The ESFA is undertaking this procurement exercise as an executive agency of the department.Current European Social Fund contracts are due to conclude at the end of March 2019. This includes a total of 294 contracts delivering £495 million worth of provision.The ESFA are finalising procurement of new European Social Fund contracts to start in April 2019 and to run until 2021 to make sure that there is no gap in provision between the ending of current European Social Fund contracts and the launch of a successor programme. These contracts are flexible to run in both a deal and no-deal scenario - in the event of a no-deal, the costs of provision are covered by the government’s guarantee. The procurement is for a total of 132 contracts totalling £314 million worth of provision.

Classroom Assistants

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, how many teaching assistants have been employed in schools in (a) England, (b) North East and (c) Easington constituency  in each of the last five years.

Nick Gibb: The following table provides the full-time equivalent number of teaching assistants in state funded in England, North East region and Easington constituency in November each year from 2013 to 2017. EnglandNorth EastEasington2013[1]243,73311,0063472014[2]255,08812,0534032015[3]262,95012,5343952016[4]265,61612,6983832017[5]262,82012,532379Source: School Workforce Census [1] 2013 figures for the North East region exclude 4 out of 1,552 schools that did not provide a return for teaching assistant numbers.[2] 2014 figures for the North East region exclude 5 out of 1,543 schools that did not provide a return for teaching assistant numbers.[3] 2015 figures for the North East region exclude 8 out of 1,532 schools that did not provide a return for teaching assistant numbers.[4] 2016 figures for the North East region exclude 3 out of 1,530 schools that did not provide a return for teaching assistant numbers.[5] 2017 figures for the North East region exclude 5 out of 1,519 schools that did not provide a return for teaching assistant numbers.

Students: Loans

Gordon Marsden: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions he has had with Philip Augar and the Post-18 review panel on Shariah compliant loans.

Chris Skidmore: The government is committed to introducing an Alternative Student Finance product which complies with Sharia law and we continue to make progress with the review so the government can deliver a post-18 education system that is accessible to all, delivers the skills that the country needs and is value for money for both the taxpayer and students.

Children in Care

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Education,  what additional financial support his Department provides to local authorities that experience a significant increase in the number of looked-after children under their care.

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what recent assessment he has made of the average caseload ratios for social workers working with looked-after children.

Grahame Morris: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what discussions he has had had with Durham County Council on managing the increase in the number of looked-after children in County Durham.

Nadhim Zahawi: Funding for children’s services is made available through the Local Government Finance Settlement (LGFS), which gives local authorities flexibility to target spending according to local needs and to fulfil their statutory responsibilities, including services for looked-after children. Over the five-year period to 2019-20, councils have access, through the LGFS, to over £200 billion to deliver local services, including children’s services. Core spending power has increased from £45.1 billion in 2018-19 to £46.4 billion in 2019-20. Social worker caseload data is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/childrens-social-work-workforce-2018. The average caseload per children and family social worker was 17.4 cases (based on full-time equivalent counts) in 2018. Specific data on the ratios for social workers working with looked after children is not available. Along with my right hon. Friend, the Secretary of State for Education, we regularly meet key stakeholders, including Directors of Children’s Services, to discuss children’s services. Officials in regional teams also meet local authorities regularly and the most recent meeting with Durham County Council was earlier this month. The department recognises how important it is to speak directly with those who are delivering services for children and families and we are working between now and the Spending Review to get a sharper and more granular picture of children’s services costs and pressures. We are also, through our ‘Strengthening Families, Protecting Children’ programme, investing £84 million over the next 5 years to support up to 20 local authorities with high or rising demand for children’s social care to work more effectively with their most vulnerable families.

Ministry of Justice

Offenders: Homelessness

David Hanson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what plans are in place to support local authorities to work closely with Community Rehabilitation Companies and the National Probation Service in identifying homeless ex-offenders.

David Hanson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, whether any targets are in place for Community Rehabilitation Companies and the National Probation Service to reduce the number of ex-offenders that are homeless.

Rory Stewart: Community Rehabilitation Companies (CRCs) and the National Probation Service (NPS) are required to facilitate access to housing for the offenders that they are managing. This includes working together with local partners to help offenders find and maintain accommodation as part of a package of support tailored to meet their individual needs. We know that Through The Gate provision is not currently meeting the standard we require. That is why we are investing an additional £22m per annum over the remaining life of the CRC contracts to ensure that CRCs deliver an enhanced Through The Gate service to offenders leaving prison. This investment will support approximately 500 additional CRC staff to deliver Through The Gate in prisons. Alongside this investment there will be a new specification, to be introduced shortly, which will ensure that CRCs complete specific tasks, including to help every prisoner to secure and maintain settled accommodation. We are also investing £6m as part of the Government’s Rough Sleeping Strategy in pilot schemes bringing together prisons, local authorities, probation providers and others to plan, secure and sustain accommodation for offenders on release. We regularly publish the performance of CRCs, including measures showing the percentage of offenders who have settled accommodation on release from custody. The latest information can be found in the ‘Community Performance Quarterly Management Information Release: update to June 2018’ on Gov.uk at:https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/community-performance-quarterly-mi-update-to-june-2018

Prisoners' Release: Homelessness

David Hanson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many people were (a) released from each prison and (b) recorded as homeless on release from each prison in each of the last five years.

Rory Stewart: The exact information could only be obtained at a disproportionate cost, but we have closely related data, detailed below.   It is vital that everyone leaving prison has somewhere safe and secure to live. Having somewhere stable to live acts as a platform for ex-offenders to be able to access the services and support needed to turn their back on crime for good. Published statistics for 2017/18 showing the accommodation status for all offenders can be found here:https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/community-performance-quarterly-mi-update-to-march-2018  Published statistics on releases by prison can be found here:  https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/offender-management-statistics-quarterlyAs part of the Government initiative to reduce and ultimately eliminate rough sleeping across England, we are investing up to £6.4 million over two years in a pilot scheme to help ex-offenders into accommodation from three prisons, namely Bristol, Pentonville and Leeds. The pilots will focus on male prisoners who have served shorter sentences, who have been identified as having a risk of homelessness. We have launched our Invitation to Tender, to secure suppliers in the three pilot areas. This is a concrete step in our commitment to tackling rough sleeping.

Offenders: Homelessness

David Hanson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many meetings he has held with the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government to discuss homelessness of ex-offenders.

Rory Stewart: It is vital that everyone leaving prison has somewhere safe, stable and secure to live. Overcoming the many barriers offenders face to securing suitable accommodation is something that Ministry of Justice cannot do in isolation.The Secretary of State for Justice and the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government are both members of the cross-Government Rough Sleeping and Homelessness Taskforce and the Reducing Reoffending Board. Homelessness of ex-offenders is a key issue that is discussed at these meetings.Through this work, we are investing up to £6.4m in a joint pilot scheme to support individuals released from three prisons, namely Bristol, Leeds and Pentonville. We have now launched our Invitation to Tender, to secure suppliers in the three pilot areas. This is a concrete step in our commitment to tackling rough sleeping.

Special Educational Needs: Prisoners

Dr Paul Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what proportion of the prison population have (a) a learning disability, (b) autism and (c) other special educational need.

Rory Stewart: Data on offender learning participation, and learner characteristics, is published by the Department for Education. Data on learning difficulties and/or disabilities amongst those prisoners who engage in prison education is at: OLASS: participation and achievement by equality and diversity & English and maths level: 2010/2011 to 2017/18. Self-declared data on learning difficulties and/or disabilities gathered as part of the assessment of prisoners’ levels of maths and English on reception is at: OLASS English and maths assessments by ethnicity and learners with learning difficulties or disabilities: participation 2014/2015 to 2017/2018. The data consistently show that around one third of prisoners have a learning difficulty and/or disability. In April 2016, the Department for Education published a breakdown of the type of learning difficulty and type of learning disability amongst prisoner learners for academic years 2011/12 to 2014/15. That data is at: Offender Learning breakdown by disability and learning difficulty 2011/12 to 2014/15. From 1 April, prison governors will arrange for all new prisoners to be screened for learning difficulties and/or disabilities on reception. Following this, for those who go into learning and where screening indicates an issue, education suppliers will assess them to ensure the right adaptations and support arrangements are put in place.

Social Security Benefits: Appeals

Ruth George: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what information his Department holds on the number of people that have waited 12 months or more from the time they appealed a decision on (a) employment and support allowance and (b) personal independence payments to receiving an outcome; and what steps he is taking to reduce waiting times for appeal outcomes.

Lucy Frazer: The data requested at a) and b) are not available centrally, and could only be provided at disproportionate cost. Information about volumes and waiting times generally for appeals to the First-tier Tribunal (Social Security and Child Support), including Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) and Personal Independence Payment (PIP), is published at: www.gov.uk/government/collections/tribunals-statistics. To improve clearance times, additional fee-paid judicial office holders have been recruited: 250 judges across the First-tier Tribunal, 125 disability qualified members and up to 230 medical members. In addition, more PIP appeals are being listed per session and case-management “triage” sessions are being conducted, in order to reduce the time taken for appeals to reach final determination. These measures will increase the capacity of the Tribunal, with the aim of reducing waiting times for appellants. HM Courts & Tribunals Service (HMCTS) is also developing a new digital system with a view to enabling speedier processing of appeals and a better service for all parties to the proceedings. Information on the new digital service can be found at www.gov.uk/appeal-benefit-decision. Finally, HMCTS is working with the Department for Work and Pensions to understand what could be done to reduce the number of appeals being submitted to the Tribunal, through their focus on improving decision-making and the mandatory reconsideration process. Latest figures (between April 2014 – September 2018) indicate that 3.9m ESA (post WCA) decisions have been made. Of these, 8% have been appealed and 4% have been overturned. For PIP, the latest figures (to December 2018) indicate that since it was introduced, 3.9 million decisions have been made. Of these 10% have been appealed and 5% have been overturned at Tribunals.

Department for International Trade

Exports: Switzerland

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what steps he is taking to tackle the reduction in the UK exports of goods and services to Switzerland.

Graham Stuart: Switzerland, as the UK’s 10th largest trading partner and accounting for 2.3% of total UK trade, remains a crucial market for UK goods and services. Total trade in goods and services between the UK and Switzerland has averaged £31.6 billion over the last five years.Similarly, Switzerland has been open about its desire to maintain a close relationship as the UK leaves the EU. In response, my Rt Hon. Friend the Secretary of State for International Trade signed the UK-Switzerland Trade Agreement on the 11th February in Berne which will serve as the basis for future economic and trade relations between Switzerland and the UK. The Trade Agreement allows businesses to continue freely trading between the two countries and will function in both deal and no deal EU Exit scenarios.In August 2018, the Secretary of State launched the Export Strategy, the government’s plan to increase UK total exports as a proportion of GDP to 35% and make Britain a 21st century exporting superpower. The Export Strategy will encourage and inspire more businesses to export; inform businesses by providing practical assistance on exporting; connect UK businesses to overseas buyers and opportunities; and help provide finance through UKEF to enhance the HMG offer to UK exporters.

Department for International Trade: Consultants

Peter Dowd: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, how many consultants his Department has hired since 2016; and at what cost to the taxpayer.

Graham Stuart: The Department does not hold information on the number of consultants hired in any one year as this work is often commissioned as part of an outcomes-based contract to ensure value for money. DIT reported spend on consultants in its Annual Report and Accounts as follows:2016-17 - £02017-18 - £644,000. The spend in 2018-19 will be published in this year’s Annual Report and Accounts. Department for International Trade Annual Report and Accounts 2016 to 2017, page 49https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/department-for-international-trade-annual-report-and-accounts-2016-to-2017 Department for International Trade annual report and accounts 2017 to 2018, page 115https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/department-for-international-trade-annual-report-and-accounts-2017-to-2018

Department for International Trade: Ministerial Policy Advisers

Tulip Siddiq: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, how many alleged breaches of the Special Advisers’ Code of Conduct by his Department's Special Advisers have been investigated by the Minister responsible for the appointment in the last 12 months.

Graham Stuart: The department holds no central record of such allegations. The conduct of all civil servants, including special advisers, is taken very seriously. Special advisers act in accordance with the Special Adviser Code of Conduct, which includes clear guidance on appropriate conduct in public life. The Code can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/special-advisers-code-of-conduct

Iron and Steel

Nic Dakin: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what steps the Government is taking to (a) protect the steel sector and (b) mitigate the effect of a potential rapid change in export trade restrictions in the event of the UK leaving the EU without a deal.

George Hollingbery: We have now established the Trade Remedies Investigations Directorate (TRID) which will be responsible for assessing the case for a trade remedies measure, used to protect UK business including steel from unfair and injurious trade practises such as dumping and subsidization. This trade remedies function is currently held within DIT but will be established as an arm’s length, independent body, known as The Trade Remedies Authority (TRA) following Royal Assent of the Trade Bill. Following a consultation with UK producers, we have identified UK production in 26 of the existing EU 45 trade remedy measures on steel products. These measures will be transitioned to the UK’s independent trade policy upon exit from the EU. The Government will also transition those EU definitive safeguard measures where there is a UK producer interest. This ensures that UK businesses will have the protection they need. The Government is also engaging extensively with the steel industry to ensure businesses have the information they need to comply with any change in export procedures should there be a ‘no deal’ EU exit.

Iron and Steel: Turkey

Nic Dakin: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, (a) what level of tariffs UK steel producers exporting to Turkey are expected to pay and (b) what steps the Government is taking to help ensure a level playing field for UK steel exports in the event of the UK leaving the EU without a deal.

George Hollingbery: If the UK were to leave the EU without a deal, Turkey would apply its “Most Favoured Nation” duty rates on all goods imported from the UK. This would mean, based on Turkey’s current applied MFN rates, that finished steel from the UK would face tariffs between 0% and 40% depending on the type of product. The Government is committed to exploring all options for enabling continuity of trade and will progress these with Turkey as soon as possible. The UK is working with other countries – including Turkey – through the G20 Global Forum for Steel Excess Capacity that its recommendations on ensuring a level playing field for steel companies are implemented by all members.

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government

Buildings: Insulation

Mr Steve Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 18 March 2019 to Question 232023 and the Answer of 4 February 2019 to Question 214563 on Buildings: Insulation, whether his Department has analysed the non-Aluminium Composite Material samples held at the Building Research Establishment to establish how many are High Pressure Laminate-B with stonewool.

Kit Malthouse: Holding answer received on 25 March 2019



The screening programme set up after the Grenfell fire tragedy was focussed on identifying and the types of aluminium composite materials received. 1,421 samples of other materials were also submitted but these were not suitable for the screening tests. A detailed explanation of the screening tests is set out in this note published in June 2017. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/explanatory-note-on-safety-checks-and-testing.The non-Aluminuim Composite Materials (ACM) samples were catalogued but it is not possible given their size and condition to reliably identify and classify each sample. These samples would not provide reliable or representative indication of the materials currently present on the existing building stock, this is because only those buildings with ACM cladding systems were asked to submit samples.I refer also to my answer of 24 January to question UIN 210599.

Non-domestic Rates

Andrea Jenkyns: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what plans the Government has to lower business rates.

Rishi Sunak: Since 2016, Government has announced a range of business rates reforms and measures. These include raising the threshold for Small Business Rate Relief, linking the multiplier to CPI rather than RPI inflation, a new retail discount worth an estimated £1 billion, and a range of other smaller reliefs. In total, these measures are estimated to be worth over £13 billion between 2019-20 and 2023-24.

Buildings: Insulation

Mr Steve Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 11 March 2019 to Question 229147 on Buildings: Insulation, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of other test facilities with available test rigs for the referenced test to take place.

Kit Malthouse: Holding answer received on 26 March 2019



The contract for this BS 8414 test is subject to an open competitive tender. Any properly accredited test facilities could be used.

Buildings: Insulation

Mr Steve Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant the Answer of 4 February 2019 to Question 214560 on Buildings: Insulation, whether the further testing to check the fire safety of building materials that his Department is commissioning with the Building Research Establishment has started.

Kit Malthouse: Holding answer received on 26 March 2019



The laboratory phase of this project is now underway. Once calibration is completed, testing should start in the first week of April.

Refuges: Domestic Abuse

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the availability of refuges for victims of domestic abuse in (a) Coventry and (b) the West Midlands.

Mrs Heather Wheeler: The Government is committed to supporting all victims of domestic abuse.My Department does not hold information on the availability of refuges for victims of domestic abuse in (a) Coventry and (b) the West Midlands. However, I am pleased to confirm that Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council led the West Midlands in successful pan-regional bids for both the 2016-18 £20 million and the 2018-20 £22 million funds, building upon their regional partnership, increase refuge provision and remove barriers to accessing refuge. Through the 2016-18 fund the West Midlands was awarded £639,253 over the two years, including receiving a share of the £1.1 million top up funding. In the current 2018-20 fund the West Midlands has been awarded £638,849, with the first instalment being released December 2019 and the remaining to be released in the new financial year.My department has also carried out a review of how domestic abuse services are locally commissioned and funded across England. We have worked closely with sector partners, drawing on their data, expertise and knowledge and taken account of the findings of an independent audit of provision of domestic abuse services across England, led by Ipsos MORI. Following the review, we intend to consult on potential measures for sustainable delivery of support for victims and their children in accommodation-based services for domestic abuse across England shortly.

Buildings: Insulation

Mr Steve Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 20 March 2019 to Question 232574 on Buildings: Insulation, whether his Department has carried out an assessment of the number of fire barriers installed on buildings in the UK.

Kit Malthouse: Information on provision of cavity barriers and other fire barriers installed would be expected to be set out in building plans submitted to building control bodies. The Department does not hold this information centrally so has made no such assessment.

Buildings: Insulation

Mr Steve Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 20 March 2019 to Question 232020 on Buildings: Insulation, whether his Department plans to test standard class High-Pressure Laminate cladding (Euroclass D) with stonewool insulation.

Kit Malthouse: The Department is undertaking a test of a Euroclass B high pressure laminate panel as information from industry has suggested that this is the most commonly used type of high pressure laminate panel. The Department has no plans at present to carry out a test of Euroclass D high pressure laminate panels with stonewool insulation behind them but will consider further tests as necessary.

Buildings: Insulation

Mr Steve Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 20 March 2019 to Question 232574 on Buildings: Insulation, whether his Department consulted (a) Dr Barbara Lane or (b) Professor Jose Torero, expert witnesses to the Grenfell Tower Inquiry, on the design of the test.

Kit Malthouse: The Department has not consulted Dr Barbara Lane or Professor Jose Torero on the design of the test. The test has been designed in line with standard industry practice.

Buildings: Insulation

Mr Steve Reed: To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 20 March 2019 to Question 232574 on Buildings: Insulation, how many fire barriers per storey are installed in line with normal industry practice.

Kit Malthouse: As set out in my answer of 20 March to Question UIN 232574, fire barriers will be arranged similarly to those used in previous BS 8414 tests commissioned by the Department; the details of which are available on the building safety programme web page at www.gov.uk/guidance/the-building-safety-programme. As with previous tests we work with industry bodies to ensure that the design is representative of industry practice.

Ministry of Defence

Travellers: Caravan Sites

Mr Ranil Jayawardena: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what his Department's policy is on the deployment of the army to assist the police in clearing an unauthorised traveller encampment on Ministry of Defence land.

Mark Lancaster: Under Section 61 of the Criminal Justice and Public Order Act 1994 only the police have the power to remove trespassers. Military personnel have no role in this removal. Ministry of Defence (MOD) policy remains that the Department will take appropriate action, complicit with the law, to recover possession of MOD land occupied by unauthorised traveller encampments.

Department for Work and Pensions

Universal Credit

Sir Mark Hendrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the potential correlation between the roll-out of universal credit and the trends in the level of survival prostitution; and if she will make a statement.

Alok Sharma: We do not believe there is any correlation between the roll-out of Universal Credit and prostitution. The priority of Jobcentre Plus staff is to make sure that claimants get the support they need and then help them to move into work when they are able. A wide range of financial support is available to help claimants, with 100 per cent advances available on the same day if there is a need.

Personal Independence Payment: Terminal Illnesses

Andrea Jenkyns: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what illnesses are considered terminal under Special Rules for Terminal Illness.

Justin Tomlinson: The Special Rules for Terminal Illness apply across a range of benefits. Terminal illness is defined in legislation as applying to someone who “is suffering from a progressive disease and death in consequence of that disease can reasonably be expected within 6 months.” The Department applies the Special Rules, regardless of what health condition a person has, in line with this definition.

Personal Independence Payment: Terminal Illnesses

Andrea Jenkyns: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people access disability benefits through Special Rules for Terminal Illness by each terminal illness.

Andrea Jenkyns: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people with dementia have accessed disability benefits through Special Rules for Terminal Illness.

Andrea Jenkyns: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people with dementia have accessed disability benefits without going through Special Rules for Terminal Illness.

Justin Tomlinson: The latest available data on disability benefit awards made under Special Rules for Terminal Illness and Normal Rules can be found at https://stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/ .Guidance on how to use Stat-Xplore can be found here: https://sw.stat-xplore.dwp.gov.uk/webapi/online-help/index.html. Special Rules data can be broken down by main disabling condition for Personal Independence Payment including Dementia, however data on the main disabling condition for other disability benefit claims made under Special Rules is not held by the Department. Normal Rules data can be broken down by main disabling condition for all disability benefits, including Dementia. Terminal illness is defined in Social Security legislation as: 'a progressive disease where death as a consequence of that disease can reasonably be expected within 6 months'. If a patient is suffering from such an illness they can claim certain benefits under what are termed as 'special rules'.” The DS1500 sets out the patient’s condition, clinical findings, treatment, date of diagnosis and date of form completion. It is a medical factual report and it is usually valid for 3 years.

Universal Credit: Telephone Services

Stephen Lloyd: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the average wait time for a phone call to be answered was to the universal credit helpline in (a) each of the last three months and (b) 2018.

Alok Sharma: Universal Credit is a 24 hour, seven days a week, digital service that allows claimants to manage their own data and account online at a time which is convenient for them. Via their account claimants can check their Universal Credit benefit payments, notify us of changes and record notes via an online journal facility. In addition, established claimants who call the Freephone Universal Credit helpline are connected directly to the person or team who are dealing with the case. The average waiting time for a person calling the Universal Credit Full Service helpline in each of the last three months was: MonthAverage Speed of Answer (minutes)December 20184.52January 20194.53February 20194.16 The average waiting times for a person calling the Universal Credit Full Service helpline in 2018 was 5 minutes 52 seconds Our Average Speed of Answer (ASA) measure is the average customer wait time from the point of entering a queue to connection to an agent. This excludes any time spent in pre-queue messaging and any wait time for calls ultimately abandoned by callers prior to answer. Notes: For calls connected to the owning Case Manager or team, the Average Speed of Answer was 1 minute 10 seconds in February 2019. Data Source: BT - OPMIS and Historical Management Information (GI2 – HMI) Outsourced partner data is included. The data supplied is derived from unpublished management information, which was collected for internal Departmental use only and has not been quality assured to National Statistics or Official Statistics publication standard. The data should therefore be treated with caution.

Universal Credit: Disability

Mhairi Black: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the timetable is for the draft regulations for compensatory payments to be arranged for people who have moved to universal credit and lost their legacy benefit severe disability premium payments.

Justin Tomlinson: The draft Universal Credit (Managed Migration Pilot and Miscellaneous Amendments) Regulations 2019 were laid in Parliament on 14 January 2019, and will introduce provision for those claimants who were in receipt of the Severe Disability Premium (SDP) and who have already moved on to Universal Credit following a change in their circumstances. These regulations will provide both an on-going monthly payment to eligible claimants who have already lost the SDP as a consequence of moving to Universal Credit and an additional lump sum payment to cover the period since they moved. These regulations are subject to parliamentary debate and approval before they come in to force. Once introduced we will implement our processes to identify those who are potentially eligible for payments, aiming to make all payments as quickly as possible and within 6 months of the regulations coming into force. This will be a time consuming process, as we have to identify claimants and assess their eligibility, possibly needing to check some information directly with claimants. We aim to finish making payments within 6 months of the regulations coming into force. We have also introduced the Severe Disability Premium Gateway which prevents claimants who are receiving the SDP, or have done so within the past month and remain entitled to it, from moving onto Universal Credit from legacy benefits, even if they experience a change in their circumstances. These claimants will continue to receive legacy benefits including their SDP until they are moved onto Universal Credit by the Department.

Department for Work and Pensions: Ministerial Policy Advisers

Tulip Siddiq: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many alleged breaches of the Special Advisers’ Code of Conduct by his Department's Special Advisers have been investigated by the Minister responsible for the appointment in the last 12 months.

Justin Tomlinson: The conduct of all civil servants, including special advisers, is taken very seriously. Special advisers act in accordance with the Special Adviser Code of Conduct, which includes clear guidance on appropriate conduct in public life. The Code can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/special-advisers-code-of-conduct

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Donkeys and Horses: Animal Welfare

Ben Bradley: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent steps his Department has taken to reduce horse and donkey abandonment.

David Rutley: Defra is keen to ensure that we uphold our high standards of welfare including in relation to equines.   The Control of Horses Act 2015 means landowners and occupiers can remove horses and other equines, including donkeys and their hybrids, that are unlawfully left on their land and immediately take them to a place of safety. Landowners must notify the local police within 24 hours of doing so, as well as the equine’s owner if identifiable.   Local authorities have powers under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 to investigate concerns about the ill-treatment or neglect of animals, and any person or organisation, such as the RSPCA, can take forward a private prosecution under the 2006 Act if there is sufficient evidence.  In addition, from October 2020 it will be mandatory for all owners to microchip their horses, ponies and donkeys. The new Central Equine Database will then allow local authorities and police to track down the owners of abandoned horses and ensure that appropriate action is taken, and the animals are given the care they deserve. It will also mean lost or stolen horses will be reunited with their owners more easily.

Cephalopods: Animal Welfare

Yasmin Qureshi: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department has made an assessment of (a) the sentience of cephalopods and (b) their capability to feel pain; and whether cephalopods are included in the definition of animal in the draft sentience Bill.

David Rutley: We are continuing to engage with stakeholders to further refine the Government’s proposals on animal sentience. As part of this we are continuing to assess which animals should be covered by those proposals.

Horses: Imports

Angela Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether the Import of Products, Animals, Food and Feed System will enable horses to be traced post-import and check-tested.

David Rutley: If we leave the EU without a deal, horse movements into the UK from countries outside the EU will have to be notified before arrival in the UK using the Import of Products, Animals, Food and Feed System (IPAFFS). Those horses will need to enter the UK via an appropriate Border Inspection Post in the UK for checks.   Notifications before arrival will also be required for horses coming into the UK from the EU, with the exception of horses travelling from the Republic of Ireland which will be exempt.   For an initial period, these notifications for horses travelling from the EU will not be raised through IPAFFS. The importer should download and complete a notification form from www.gov.uk/government/publications/eu-import-of-animals-and-products-food-feed-notify-authorities   This form should then be sent to the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) for all imports coming into England, Wales and Scotland, or to the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) for movements into Northern Ireland.   Those authorities will issue a unique notification number, which is required to complete the health certificate that must accompany consignments. Health certificates are available here: www.gov.uk/government/collections/eu-import-health-certificates   APHA and DAERA will, after the arrival of the horses in the UK, carry out risk-based checks at the final point of destination as they do now.   From autumn 2019, notifications will be made using IPAFFS.   Detailed guidance for importers is available at www.gov.uk/guidance/importing-animals-animal-products-and-high-risk-food-and-feed-not-of-animal-origin-after-eu-exit

Animal Welfare: Sentencing

Stephanie Peacock: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 18 March 2019 to Question 230932 on Animal Welfare Act 2006, when he plans to increase the custodial maximum penalty for animal cruelty from six months imprisonment to five years imprisonment; and whether that change will require primary legislation.

David Rutley: The Government remains committed to increasing the maximum custodial penalty for animal cruelty from 6 months’ to 5 years’ imprisonment, and will do so as soon as Parliamentary time allows. Primary legislation is required.

Formaldehyde: Trading Standards

Ruth Cadbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural affairs, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the trading standards regime in protecting consumers from exposure to formaldehyde.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: There is a ban on the sale of the substance formaldehyde and its sale in mixtures when present at or over 0.1% (by weight). In addition, the use of formaldehyde will be further restricted in 2023.   Proposals for a further legal restriction to control formaldehyde releases from articles (which would include wood-based panels) are being considered under REACH. Currently, there is a voluntary agreement to produce wooden panels within these exposure levels and over 95% of EU companies are compliant.   Local authority trading standards departments are responsible for consumer protection issues under REACH; this includes decisions on funding and prioritisation. The Government has not specifically assessed the effectiveness of this regime in relation to products containing formaldehyde.

Food: Standards

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he plans to tailor food standards to (a) serve UK trade interests and (b) keep standards high.

David Rutley: The Government is committed to ensuring high food standards at home and promoting high standards internationally. We have been clear that any future trade agreements must work for consumers, farmers, and businesses in the UK.   The UK has world leading standards of food safety and quality, backed by a rigorous legislative framework; we will maintain these high standards once the UK leaves the European Union.

Beverage Containers: Recycling

Mrs Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department has taken to ensure an alignment of the (a) design and (b) implementation of deposit return schemes in England and Scotland.

Mrs Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of implementing Scotland's deposit return scheme as a pilot scheme for a future UK-wide deposit return scheme.

Mrs Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what alternatives to the proposed deposit management organisation for maintaining reverse vending machines his Department considered for inclusion in the proposals for a UK-wide deposit return scheme.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: The Government has confirmed that it will introduce a deposit return scheme (DRS) for drinks containers in England, subject to consultation. The specific model, scope and scale of any scheme is being considered as part of this consultation, which is also being undertaken with the Welsh government and the Northern Ireland administration. As waste and recycling policy is a devolved matter, the devolved administrations can decide policy separately. The Government is therefore unable to specify how a DRS in Scotland should be implemented, nor at this point are we considering specifically a pilot scheme. However, ministers and officials have met to discuss progress and recognise the benefits of a coherent system across the UK. DRS in England could form part of a coherent system across the UK and we will continue to work closely with the devolved administrations on this policy area. The role of a Deposit Management Organisation in managing the operation of a DRS, including being responsible for the maintenance of Reverse Vending Machines, is currently being considered as part of our consultation. We will consider alternative approaches as part of our analysis of the consultation responses.

Environment Protection

Mr Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps he plans to take facilitate cooperation between the four countries of the UK on shared environmental challenges after the UK leaves the EU.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: Across England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, we have a shared interest in protecting our environment. Ministers are in regular discussion with counterparts in the devolved administrations. On 18 February this year we agreed to establish the Inter-Ministerial Group for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. This Group provides central coordination and promotes greater collaboration in areas of shared interest, including the environment, between the relevant portfolio ministers in the UK administrations.   When we leave the EU, many of the returning powers will pass to the devolved administrations. In some policy areas it will be necessary to agree common frameworks in respect of these returning powers. We are working with the devolved administrations to develop these in accordance with the principles agreed at the Joint Ministerial Committee (EU Negotiations) on 16 October 2017. These principles are outlined in the Joint Ministerial Communique: www.gov.uk/government/publications/joint-ministerial-committee-communique-16-october-2017. Progress in developing the frameworks was reported to Parliament on 7 February this year: www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-second-european-union-withdrawal-act-and-common-frameworks-report.

Rural Areas: Bus Services

Alex Sobel: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how much funding UK National Park Authorities has provided to rural bus services in each year since 2010.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: National Park Authorities are not strategic transport authorities and do not have statutory responsibility for the provision of transport. Defra does not hold information on how much funding National Park Authorities have provided to rural bus services in each year since 2010.

Chemicals: EU Law

Mary Creagh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many times the UK has requested a quicker action on a chemical restriction, including additional rapid phase-out deadlines, that have been blocked by (a) other Member States  and (b) the European Chemicals Agency.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: In 2012 the UK proposed that the substance decaBDE should be classified as a substance of very high concern (SVHC), which would be followed by authorisation procedures to limit its use. DecaBDE was listed as an SVHC, as proposed by the UK, but the EU decided not to proceed with authorisation procedures, and took an alternative route of restriction instead. The restriction was not adopted until 2017. The EU’s decision to opt for a restriction rather than continuing with the authorisation process resulted in a delay in regulatory action.

Livestock: Exports

Sir Desmond Swayne: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what plans he has to prohibit the export of livestock for (a) slaughter and (b) fattening after the UK leaves the EU.

David Rutley: I refer the Hon. Member to the reply given to the Hon. Member for Southend West, Sir David Amess, on 8 March 2019 to PQ 229590.

Biodiversity

Paul Farrelly: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to meet UN biodiversity targets on halting species decline and improving the condition of protected sites.

Dr Thérèse Coffey: Domestic biodiversity policy is a devolved matter and the information provided relates to England only, except in relation to our plans internationally.On land, around 94% of our protected sites, covering over 1 million hectares, are now in good condition or have management in place to restore their condition. At sea, we are putting management measures in place to protect and expand our Marine Protected Areas. We have consulted on a third tranche of 41 Marine Conservation Zones. Sites to be designated will be in place by 7 June.Our agencies and non-Departmental bodies are working on species recovery projects with landowning and conservation partners, for example on freshwater pearl mussel, short-haired bumblebee and stone curlew.The ongoing declines in nature are a global problem that need a global solution. That is why the UK is committed to playing a leading role in developing a global post-2020 framework under the Convention on Biological Diversity that is ambitious and transformational. Our Darwin Initiative supports global action by providing grants to protect biodiversity and the natural environment, with £10.6 million awarded in 2018. Defra has contributed almost £6 million over the last three years to Darwin Plus for Overseas Territories’ biodiversity. We continue to support activities to end poaching and the illegal wildlife trade, and have recently passed new legislation to close our domestic ivory market, which will be the toughest ivory ban in Europe and one of the toughest in the world.The UK Government has committed to protecting the ocean, and has called for at least 30 per cent of the ocean to be in Marine Protected Areas by 2030. Our Blue Belt programme will protect marine habitats and species in 4million km2 around the Overseas Territories by 2020.

Home Office

Crimes of Violence

Mr David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps he is taking to reduce violent crime in England.

Mr David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps he is taking to reduce violent crime in Yorkshire and the Humber.

Victoria Atkins: In April 2018 the Government published the Serious Violence Strategy which sets out a comprehensive set of 61 commitments and actions we are taking to tackle violent crime. This included launching a £22m Early Intervention Youth Fund which is already supporting 29 projects in England and Wales, a national knife crime media campaign - #knife free; a new National County Lines Co-ordination Centre to tackle this violent and exploitative criminal ac-tivity; and the Offensive Weapons Bill to strengthen legislation on firearms, knives and corrosive substances.On 2 October 2018 the Home Secretary announced further important measures including a consultation on new legal duty to support a multi-agency approach to preventing and tackling serious violence, a new long term £200 million Youth Endowment Fund, and an Independent Review of Drug Misuse.Most recently, on 13 March the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced that an additional £100 million funding for serious violence in 2019/20 to help the police’s immediate response to the rise in serious knife crime, and also to support investment in Violence Reduction Units, bringing together a range of agencies including health, education, social services and others, to develop a multi-agency approach in preventing serious violence altogether. It is im-portant that we recognise that greater law enforcement on its own will not reduce serious violence and that we must continue to focus on prevention.Specifically, in relation to Yorkshire and the Humber, we have awarded £2.7m from the Early Intervention Youth Fund to support different projects. We have also provided £127,521 through the anti-knife crime Community Fund in 2018/19 to seven local projects. Finally, all four police forces in the region took part in a national week of action to tackle knife crime, called Op-eration Sceptre, from 11-18 March 2019 along with all other police forces in England and Wales.

Immigrants: Detainees

Mr David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps he is taking to minimise the length of time migrants are kept in detention.

Caroline Nokes: The Government’s strategic approach to detention recognises that the deprivation of liberty for immigration purposes is a significant use of state power, with life changing implications for those involved. Detention is only used when it is necessary and where we have a realistic prospect of removal in a reasonable timescale. At any one point, 95% of those liable to be detained are managed in the community, with the vast majority of those who are detained under immigration powers spending only short periods in detention.The latest published statistics also show that in the year ending December 2018, there was a 30% reduction in the number of individuals detained when compared with a year earlier. This demonstrates our commitment to detaining only when it is necessary.A series of detention safeguards have been introduced since 2016, with more support and focus for those considered potentially vulnerable. Included within these safeguards are the Detention Gatekeeper to make detention decisions independent of caseworkers. Case Progression Panels which review the appropriateness of detention, case progression and adherence to the various detention policies of those detained for 3 months and at 3 month intervals thereafter; Detention and Case Progression Reviews to ensure case progression remains at the forefront of ongoing detention decisions; Automatic Bail referrals at four months detention providing an independent consideration of detention by the Judiciary; and the introduction of the Adults at Risk policy in September 2016.We are currently exploring additional detention safeguards, including further alternatives to detention; conducting a two month automatic bail referral pilot and the introduction of external independence to Case Progression Panels for those who have spent 6 months or more in detention.

Visas: France

Sir Vince Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent discussions he has had with his French counterpart on that country's visa plans for UK business travellers.

Caroline Nokes: Policy on short stay visitors, such as business visitors, is an EU competence, rather than a Member State competence.The EU has proposed that UK nationals would be able to enter the EU visa-free for short periods after the country’s exit, provided EU nationals enjoy the same conditions when travelling to the UK.Whether we leave the EU with or without a deal, the Home Secretary has announced that EEA and Swiss nationals will be able to continue to travel to the UK for holidays or short-term trips, without needing a visa.

Cybercrime

Jo Platt: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what the cost to the public purse is of the Government’s Cyber Aware communication campaign.

Mr Ben Wallace: The Cyber Aware campaign is delivered by the Home Office. It is funded by the National Cyber Security Programme, which is administered by the Cabi-net Office.The Government’s National Cyber Security Strategy is underpinned by £1.9 billion of investment.

Asylum: Sexuality

Stephen Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what plans he has to review the content of the Asylum Policy Instruction: Sexual Orientation in Asylum Claims plan.

Caroline Nokes: We remain committed to granting protection to all claimants who are found to be at risk of persecution or serious harm in their country of origin because of their sexual orientation or gender identity. The Home Office guidance for caseworkers on processing asylum claims on the basis of sexual orientation will be reviewed later this year, following the publication of guidance for caseworkers on asylum claims based on gender identity and expression, which is scheduled for publication by summer 2019.

Radicalism: Social Media

Stephen Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what recent discussions he has had with (a) social media companies and (b) other Cabinet colleagues on the potential viability of a 24-hour take down rule on social media content to tackle extremist content.

Mr Ben Wallace: The Government has been clear that tech companies need to act more quickly to remove all forms of terrorist content. There can be no safe spaces for terrorists to promote and share their extreme views.Home Office analysis shows that approximately a third of all links to Daesh propaganda are disseminated within an hour of upload. As a result, we work closely with industry to encourage them to proactively remove terrorist content within one hour of upload, secure the prevention of re-uploads and ultimately prevent new content from being made available to users in the first place.The Home Secretary visited the West Coast of the US in June and November 2018, where he continued to press the companies to increase the use of technology to automate the detection and removal of content where possible. At the G7 Toronto 2018 the Security Minister met with leaders of major CSP’s.It is not the Government's practice to provide details of Ministerial meetings which are held as part of the process of policy development and delivery.

Public Transport: Security

Stephen Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Transport on the level of security provision on public transport since the recent tram attach in Utrecht.

Mr Ben Wallace: There is a multi-layered approach to transport security in Great Britain to ensure that appropriate and proportionate measures are taken to protect the public.The Secretary of State for Transport keeps the security of the transport system under regular review in light of the assessed threat to different transport modes, working in close partnership with the police and industry operators.

Borders: France

Stephen Doughty: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions he has had with this counterpart in the French Government on (a) travel and transport delays caused by recent industrial action at the French border and (b) how many additional customs officials on Eurostar services will be needed after the UK leaves the EU to avoid delays.

Caroline Nokes: The Home Office has been working with the cross-government Border Delivery Group to engage with authorities, port users and operators domestically and across the EU to understand what the synergies and constraints are in different locations, and to discuss how to ensure locations are operationally ready to meet with Government requirements when the UK leaves the EU.The Government wants to see cross-Channel traffic and goods continue to move as freely as possible, in any scenario both deal or no deal.As the application of additional customs checks by the EU is outside of our control, the Government has undertaken a range of preparatory measures to mitigate potential impacts and ensure that goods can continue to flow into and out of the UK as freely as possible.

Migrant Workers: Health Services

Sir Roger Gale: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps he is taking to ensure an adequate supply of hospital ancillary workers and care assistants from (a) EU member states and (b) non-EU countries to staff (i) the NHS and (ii) residential and nursing homes after the UK leaves the EU.

Caroline Nokes: The transitional route for temporary workers will be open to anyone from qualifying countries, wishing to fill positions at any skill level, for up to 12 months. We do not intend to impose a cap on the number of people wishing to use the route.

Scotland Office

Driving Under Influence

Jamie Stone: What discussions he has had with the Scottish Government on harmonising Scottish and English drink-driving laws.

David Mundell: This is a devolved matter and both Governments share a determination to fight drink driving. In this case, the UK government has no plans to change the drink driving limits.

Fisheries: Scotland

Bill Grant: What steps he is taking to support the Scottish fishing sector.

David Mundell: The UK Government is committed to supporting the Scottish fishing sector as we look ahead to new opportunities when we leave the EU. On 10 December, the Environment Secretary announced £16.4 million of extra funding to prepare the Scottish fishing industry ahead of the UK becoming an independent coastal state from December 2020.

Taxation: Scotland

Mr Ranil Jayawardena: What recent discussions he has had with the Scottish Government on its use of tax powers.

David Mundell: I have regular discussions with the Scottish Government on issues of importance for Scotland’s economy, including tax.The UK Government has delivered on its promise to devolve additional tax powers. Once the Scotland Act 2016 is fully implemented, more than 50% of the Scottish Government’s funding will come from revenues raised in Scotland, giving the Scottish Government greater power to decide the levels of tax and spend in Scotland.

Church Commissioners

Church of England: Deptford

Hugh Gaffney: To ask the right hon. Member for Meriden, representing the Church Commissioners, whether the Church of England has a financial interest in (a) Tidemill Green and (b) the site of Old Tidemill School in Deptford.

Dame Caroline Spelman: The Church of England, the Church Commissioners and the Diocese of Southwark have no financial interest in the site of the former parish church of Christ Church, Deptford.The land was sold by the Church Commissioners in 1937. The parish of Christ Church was merged with St Nicholas Church in 1936 to form the parish of St Nicholas with Christ Church. Following significant bomb damage, the Christ Church buildings were demolished in 1937 and the site sold to the London Borough of Lewisham. Housing and a school building now occupy the majority of the site At the point of sale to the Borough of Lewisham, the usual covenants were placed on a small section of the property which formed the site of the former Church. This covenanted area is outside of the area currently used as a wildlife garden and the school. The covenanted area is to be found at the back of Frankham House. No restrictions were placed on the rest of the property to the north of Reginald Road.

Cabinet Office

Civil Service: Living Wage

Mr Jim Cunningham: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what recent estimate he has made of the number of civil servants employed directly or indirectly by the Government (a) inside and (b) outside of Greater London that are paid below the London Living Wage.

Oliver Dowden: The government is committed to paying people a decent living wage, which is being addressed through the national living wage, with a commitment to increase this to reach 60% of median earnings by 2020. As of 31 March 2018, 0.9% of civil servants employed by the Government inside of London were paid below the London Living Wage rate of £10.20 per hour and 1.9% of civil servants outside of Londno, including where their location is not specified in this dataset, were paid below the Living Wage rate of £8.75 per hour. Data is not held centrally on indirectly employed agency staff and contractors working in government departments.

Public Sector: Ombudsman

Jim Fitzpatrick: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what progress the Government has made on its plans to introduce a Public Service Ombudsman; and whether the Independent Housing Ombudsman will be included within it.

Mr David Lidington: The government published the draft Public Service Ombudsman Bill in December 2016, setting out in detail its plans to introduce a new Public Service Ombudsman. The draft Bill will be progressed as and when a legislative opportunity arises. The Housing Ombudsman Service is not included in the draft Bill, but the Bill as drafted would give Ministers the power to include that organisation at a later date, through secondary legislation. No decisions have been taken on the potential future inclusion of the Housing Ombudsman Service.

National Security

Stephen Twigg: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, with reference to recommendation two of the Government’s Capability Review of the Cross Government Funds, published on 28 March 2018, what progress his Department has made on making public the versions of national security strategies for priority countries.

Mr David Lidington: In the National Security Capability Review the Government introduced the Fusion Doctrine, in order to strengthen HMG’s collective approach to national security. It introduced a new system of senior officials as Senior Responsible Owners, each responsible for developing strategies to deliver NSC priorities via cross-departmental National Security Strategy Implementation Groups (NSSIG).The Joint Funds Unit and the National Security Secretariat are currently working with teams to develop a suitable approach to the publication of the strategies that underpin NSC priorities and clearly link how cross-Government funds are used to support NSC priorities. At the next National Security Council Sub-Committee for the Joint Funds (the Prosperity Fund and the Conflict, Stability and Security Fund) Ministers will agree the approach, and departments will work together on creating these documents for publication.For transparency purposes, programme documents are published annually, for the CSSF, which outline the national security objectives that each programme work towards.

National Cyber Security Centre

Jo Platt: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, whether his Department monitors the number of organisations that are (a) contacted by and (b) receive direct advice from the National Cyber Security Centre.

Mr David Lidington: The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) is the UK’s technical authority on cyber security. It is committed to providing expert, trusted, and independent guidance for citizens and public and private sector organisations. The NCSC does this in a number of ways, including by publishing guidance, providing tailored sector outreach and engagement, hosting cyber security events and information exchanges and responding to incidents. Given the variety of methods and the freely available nature of this guidance, the number of organisations that are contacted by and receiving advice from the NCSC is not centrally measured.

Prime Minister: Brexit

Helen Hayes: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, how much money from the public purse has been spent on social media advertising for the Prime Minister’s statement in Downing Street on 20 March 2019.

Chloe Smith: This information is intended for publication at a later date, alongside our regular transparency reporting.

Treasury

Coinage

Mr Steve Reed: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether the commemorative 50 pence coin issued to mark the UK's departure from the EU has been minted.

Robert Jenrick: An error has been identified in the written answer given on 20 March 2019.The correct answer should have been:

Currently, no commemorative coins to mark the UK’s departure from the UK EU have been minted. However, as is standard procedure at The Royal Mint, a small number of trial coins have been produced. The production of trial coins does not incur any cost to the taxpayer. The commemorative 50 pence coin to mark the UK leaving the European Union will be made available following our departure.

Robert Jenrick: Currently, no commemorative coins to mark the UK’s departure from the UK EU have been minted. However, as is standard procedure at The Royal Mint, a small number of trial coins have been produced. The production of trial coins does not incur any cost to the taxpayer. The commemorative 50 pence coin to mark the UK leaving the European Union will be made available following our departure.

Married People: Tax Allowances

Lucy Powell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much the marriage tax allowance has cost the public purse; how many married couples have been eligible for it; and how many and what proportion of eligible married couples have benefitted from it in each year since it was introduced.

Mel Stride: HMRC publishes the estimated cost of tax reliefs annually and the latest estimate can be found here:https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/main-tax-expenditures-and-structural-reliefs HMRC’s projection of the cost of the Marriage Allowance include the anticipated full take up of the allowance after all retrospective claims have been made, as the allowance can be claimed retrospectively for up to four years: £ million2015-162016-172017-18Marriage Allowance680735835 . Around 4.2 million couples are estimated to be eligible to claim the marriage allowance. The table below shows the approximate proportion of those who are eligible and are estimated to have made a claim for marriage allowance. %2015-162016-172017-18Marriage Allowance164467

Married People: Tax Allowances

Lucy Powell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much funding his Department has allocated to the married couple's allowance in each of the next three financial years.

Lucy Powell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many and what proportion of married couples are (a) eligible for and (b) in receipt of the married couples tax allowance in each (i) local authority and (ii) parliamentary constituency.

Mel Stride: HMRC publishes the estimated cost of the Married Couples Allowance (MCA) for the years up to the current tax year in their “Estimated costs of principal tax reliefs” publication, available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/main-tax-expenditures-and-structural-reliefs The estimated cost of the MCA is:£m2013-142014-152015-162016-172017-182018-19345330290240195165 In 2018-19 there are estimated to be around 270,000 claimants of MCA. HMRC does not hold estimates of the total number of married couples. Reliable estimates of the numbers in receipt of MCA are not available at local authority or constituency level due to insufficient sample size. The published estimates are based on the 2015-16 Survey of Personal Incomes projected using economic assumptions consistent with the OBR’s October 2018 Economic and Fiscal Outlook.

NHS: Drugs

Stephen Morgan: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how much money private pharmaceutical companies have claimed back in VAT as a result of what they have paid suppliers for medicines in each year for which information is available.

Mel Stride: HMRC does not collect this level of information on its VAT returns and does not have estimates of the VAT claimed back by private pharmaceutical companies.

Stamp Duty Land Tax: Foreign Nationals

Jonathan Edwards: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, for what reason the proposed additional tax charge on non-resident property purchases was reduced from 3 per cent to 1 per cent under his Department's plans.

Jonathan Edwards: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, for what reason his Department has proposed that overseas residential property investors only need to be resident in the UK for six months to avoid the additional tax charge on non-resident property purchases.

Jonathan Edwards: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment his Department has made of the potential effect on UK housing supply of a one per cent stamp duty surcharge on non-resident property purchases.

Jonathan Edwards: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment his Department has made of the potential effect on UK property prices of a 1 per cent stamp duty surcharge on non-resident property purchases.

Jonathan Edwards: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of implementing a company residence test in determining liability to the non-UK resident surcharge to ensure the charge is applicable to all relevant parties and not avoided via company structures.

Jonathan Edwards: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of utilising chapter 3 of Part 2 of the Corporation Tax Act 2009 to ensure that company central management and control must be exercised in the UK in order to be disqualified from the non-UK resident surcharge on property purchases.

Jonathan Edwards: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps the Government is taking in relation to on non-resident property purchases to ensure that non-UK resident individuals cannot avoid the surcharge by using UK resident companies to purchase residential properties.

Jonathan Edwards: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of using the close company test as the basis for determining whether a company is under the control of non-UK resident persons in relation to the additional tax charge on non-resident property purchases.

Jonathan Edwards: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what exemptions his Department plans to apply in relation to the additional tax charge on non-resident property purchases; and on what grounds those exemptions will these be awarded.

Jonathan Edwards: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether UK Citizens who have decided to work overseas but are buying a UK property be exempt from the surcharge for non-resident property purchases.

Mel Stride: At Budget 2018, the government announced it would consult on a new 1 per cent Stamp Duty Land Tax surcharge for non-UK residents purchasing residential property in England and Northern Ireland. The consultation, published on 11 February 2019, sets out the government’s rationale for the proposed surcharge as well as detail on various aspects of the proposed design, including the level of the surcharge, the residence test for individuals, how the surcharge will apply to companies and the proposed reliefs and refunds of the surcharge. The government welcomes comments from individuals, companies, advisers, representative bodies and others who have an interest in the charge. The consultation will run until 6 May 2019 and is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/stamp-duty-land-tax-non-uk-resident-surcharge-consultation Once the consultation closes, the government will analyse responses and publish its response. The responses to the consultation and any further evidence emerging from the consultation process will inform the final policy design and accompanying Impact Assessment.

Coinage

Mary Creagh: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether the commemorative 50 pence coin to mark the UK's departure from the EU with the date of 29 March 2019 has been minted.

Robert Jenrick: An error has been identified in the written answer given on 25 March 2019.The correct answer should have been:

Currently, no commemorative coins to mark the UK’s departure from the UK EU have been minted. However, as is standard procedure at The Royal Mint, a small number of trial coins have been produced. The production of trial coins does not incur any cost to the taxpayer. The commemorative 50 pence coin to mark the UK leaving the European Union will be made available following our departure.

Robert Jenrick: Currently, no commemorative coins to mark the UK’s departure from the UK EU have been minted. However, as is standard procedure at The Royal Mint, a small number of trial coins have been produced. The production of trial coins does not incur any cost to the taxpayer. The commemorative 50 pence coin to mark the UK leaving the European Union will be made available following our departure.

Females: Ethnic Groups

Mr Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment his Department has made of the effect of austerity on BAME women.

Elizabeth Truss: The Treasury, along with other relevant departments, carefully considers the impact of its decisions on those sharing protected characteristics - including at Budgets and other fiscal events - in line with both its legal obligations and with its strong commitment to promoting fairness.The Prime Minister announced the Race Disparity Audit in August 2016 to uncover uncomfortable truths by publishing Government data about ethnic disparities onto one website. Government is delivering on its commitment to address ethnic disparities in all areas of society. Policies announced by the Prime Minister include tackling ethnic disparities in employment, school exclusions, higher education and mental health.

Steel: Exports

Nic Dakin: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps the Government is taking to minimise (a) administration costs, (b) delays and (c) complexities of transporting UK steel sector products to the EU in the event of the UK leaving the EU without a deal.

Mel Stride: Delivering a deal negotiated with the EU remains the Government’s top priority. However, in the event of a ‘no deal’ HMRC will prioritise the flow of trade, ensuring the border remains secure, while collecting the taxes due. The government published its long-term economic analysis in November 2018. This set out, by sector, the high level impact on the UK from different EU Exit scenarios, to include for manufactured steel goods. Although the treatment of goods exported from the UK into the EU in a ‘no deal’ scenario will be a matter for the EU, to minimise delays and associated complexity, the UK has negotiated re-accession to the Common Transit Convention (CTC). This allows both imported and exported goods to move smoothly across international borders without the payment of duties until they reach their final destination. In addition to facilitating the flow of trade, CTC reduces administrative costs by removing the need for multiple import/export declarations and associated customs duties as goods move through different territories. Information on CTC can be found here. To help businesses prepare, HMG has made available £8million to train customs agents and to increase capacity in the customs agent market.

Electronic Warfare

Jo Platt: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many recent discussions he has had with the Minister for the Cabinet Office on Government cybersecurity funding in the 2019 Spending Review.

Elizabeth Truss: In line with the practice of successive administrations, details of ministerial discussions on government cyber security funding are not normally disclosed.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

Proof of Identity: Digital Technology

Eddie Hughes: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, if he will bring forward legislative proposals to ensure that digital ID has carries the same age proofing weight as a passport or other physical ID document.

Margot James: The evidential requirements to authenticate identity attributes vary depending on the nature of the goods or services being sought. Usually relying parties determine the necessary level of authentication they require, though this is sometimes prescribed in regulation. There are no current legislative proposals on this matter but regulation is kept under review.

Facebook: Data Protection

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, when he was notified of the Facebook data breach reported on 21 March 2019 where the passwords of up to 600 million users were made available to Facebook employees.

Tom Watson: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what information his Department holds on the number of UK users affected by the Facebook data breach reported on 21 March 2019 where the passwords of up to 600 million users were made available to Facebook employees.

Margot James: We take the protection of personal data and the right to privacy extremely seriously. The Data Protection Act 2018 (DPA) made our data protection laws fit for the digital age and empowered people to take control of their data. The DPA and General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) introduced a duty on all organisations including social media companies to notify certain types of personal data breaches to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO). Under the GDPR, a company may designate one national regulator in the European Union as its “lead supervisory authority”, so that it does not have to deal with 28 separate regulators. In the case of Facebook, the Irish Data Protection authority takes that role and is therefore leading on this breach. The ICO is working with its Irish counterpart to ensure that it fulfils its role to protect UK citizens data. This includes establishing the number of UK users affected.

House of Commons Commission

Members: Official Hospitality

Dr David Drew: To ask the right hon. Member for Carshalton and Wallington, representing the House of Commons Commission, pursuant to the holding Answer of 17 January 2019 to Question 208188, how much money is now owed by (a) hon. Members and (b) former hon Members for unpaid catering and hospitality bills at the House of Commons (i) in total, and (ii) as a proportion of the turnover of catering and hospitality in the House of Commons; and what steps the Commission is taking to ensure the collection of those debts.

Tom Brake: On 17 January a holding answer was provided while the information was being prepared. A substantive answer was provided on 30 January and is available at:https://www.parliament.uk/business/publications/written-questions-answers-statements/written-question/Commons/2019-01-14/208188/